Civil Blood
by pretty-good-liar
Summary: this is an au based set in a world where there's an underground fight club yang and blake are a part of, very illicit, it's a little steampunk, a little sci-fi-esque, but i hope you guys enjoy!
1. Prologue

Dark clouds hung over the dimly lit back alley, and a rainstorm lingered in the distance. The smoke of a single cigarette twisted up, the scent made cleaner by the damp air. It was definitely a better smell than the dumpster kept back here.

Yang inhaled, shut her eyes, and leaned back against the metal siding, her hands already bandaged up for her next fight, her boots laced tight, and her yellow tank smudged with some grease and some blood from her latest brawl.

The door scraped open against the concrete ramp, interrupting Yang's peace for a moment.

She opened one eye, lazily noticed it was Blake, and went back to daydreaming.

Blake sat down, legs dangling over the ramp, hands resting on the lower railing, where the black paint was peeling and rusting away.

"If anyone catches you smoking I'm gonna get fucking fired," the darker woman said, ink black hair tied back and bangs falling like fringe into her face.

Yang pulled out her pack of cigarettes, handed them to her friend without opening her eyes. "Shut up, as long as I'm winning, no one's getting fucking fired." She smirked, grateful for the gritty smoke in her lungs and between her teeth. Her bones felt like lightning, and she was high on adrenaline. Her last fight of the night would definitely be a win.

Blake grunted, pulling out a lighter. "You nearly killed Junior and you're still here. Pushing your luck, that's what you're doing."

"I fucked his twins and I'm still here," Yang grinned, a little too unashamedly. Blake flicked the lighter on and off a couple times with her thumb.

"He really should know better than to pick a fight with you," Blake murmured, breathing in some smoke to calm her nerves.

"Well until he gets his club fixed up, I found a new place we can go, right near the old church. Seems promising, and less people there know me-"

"What a relief."

The blonde rolled her eyes. "You know what I mean."

"Didn't seem to bother you at Junior's."

Yang's muscles froze, and she may as well have been paralyzed. It took a moment to remember how to work her jaw. "If you're upset, you could just tell me."

"Isn't that what I'm doing?"

Yang dropped her cigarette, crushed it under her boot. Blake watched, quiet, no longer paying attention to her own. It was getting darker now, and the embers were flaring, a soothing distraction for the blonde.

"Sorry, I – won't bring it up again."

Blake smirked, brought the cigarette back to her teeth. "Like your pride could handle that."

Yang shrugged, rubbed her neck. Sure, she liked to brag, but at the cost of hurting Blake? No thanks.

"You really think it bothers me that much?"

The blonde glanced up, arching an eyebrow.

"Oh come _on_, you really think my skin is that soft?"

She smiled when Yang smiled, taking a deep drag, inhaling as much smoke as her lungs would allow.

"Only when it comes to your sex life," the brawler replied, lilac eyes practically glowing now, harboring a beautiful storm.

"Oh? And what's that supposed to mean?"

"Only that I can count on one hand the number of people you've had sex with. Hell, I can count on one hand the number of _times _you've had sex."

That was getting dangerously close to a line Blake would prefer they didn't cross. But she'd meant it; she had thick skin.

"We could always change that," she said, somehow managing it with her normal nonchalance, monotone, not even looking at Yang. Hell, she was in trouble.

Yang was just grateful she'd stomped out her cigarette, cuz she knew she'd be choking over the smoke right now. "Uh – everything okay up there? Last time I checked it was _you _who broke up with _me_. And we said it was a good thing, not being together."

Blake still wouldn't look at Yang, and she knew that was probably driving the brawler crazy, but she couldn't. Not yet.

"I'm not asking to get back together, Yang." She paused, and this time the blonde didn't interrupt.

"Just – think about it."

She pulled herself to her feet, hand on the door. "Fifteen minutes, hotshot. See you in the ring."


	2. Flesh and Blood

"I hope you know I've got that fucking song stuck in my head."

Blake glanced at the bartender, waved for her drink, then turned to the blonde at her side. Yang just laughed, her bandaged hands thrown haphazardly on the bar top. _The Final Countdown _keyboard riff had been her opening song for the latest fight, and it had been a hit with the crowd.

Blake had disapproved, but she always disapproved. _Hit Me With Your Best Shot _had achieved a similar glare. Yang was on a hot streak.

"I won, didn't I? Shut up and let me buy you a drink."

The girl glanced around the bar, nudged Yang a little. "Got yourself a fan, too."

"Girl in the red hoodie?"

Blake's eyes flashed; of course Yang had noticed. Noticed and done _nothing_. "Just the one."

"She's a little young, Blake. If anything probably just wants an autograph."

The darker woman paid no attention. She knew better than to take those kinds of risks.

It only took Yang half a second to notice Blake's disappearance; her partner was usually quiet, but this was too quiet. The blonde put up a finger for the bartender to wait for them, headed out the back after her, and despite being a hardened fighter, she winced a little at the grip the woman had their young teenage friend in.

Well, friend was pushing it, but that kid didn't look dangerous. Just small and scared. But looks could be deceiving, and most kids this part of town couldn't afford to be small or scared.

Maybe Blake was right. She had a good instinct for trouble.

But the girl in the red sweatshirt stuck out too much and her eyes were wide and only got wider when Yang stepped out into the cool, crisp night air, frosty in a way that got the blonde itching for a cigarette, anything to get warm. As for the girl Blake had trapped? She could only wish the cold was the worst of her problems - couldn't even speak, not with the way Blake's hand was crushing her windpipe into the bricks behind her.

"Jesus Blake, put the kid down, will you? You've obviously got a handle on this if things get outta hand. Let her go."

The woman's eyes narrowed, but she did as Yang said. This kid might've followed Yang from her fight, but she was hardly a threat. Just stupid enough to get caught stalking.

"What's your name, kid?"

The girl bent forward, hands clasped on her knees, sputtering and trying to get her voice back. Blake shrugged at the look Yang gave her, still not too happy about this. Her stiff posture really said it all.

"Okay, it's gonna be alright," Yang promised, rubbing circles in the girl's back with her palm, patting her as she coughed. "Blake's a little rough around the edges, but you get used to it. She has her reasons. Used to be a damn good fighter herself, back in the day, right, Blake?"

The darker woman just stared, sign enough for Yang to shut the fuck up. She'd said back in the day like she meant decades ago. Really it was what, one, maybe two years ago Blake could send any opponent out of the ring with a few broken bones?

She still could, if she played that game anymore.

Except since that damn disease started claiming more victims, people couldn't fight people anymore. Now instead of broken bones and blood and open wounds, there was broken glass and shards of jagged metal. And still the open wounds, Yang knew well enough, but - there wasn't another person to infect on the other side of it.

Not that she believed it was dangerous, but her boss liked his precautions, and regulations were getting stricter for the whole city. Being part of an illicit fight ring, Yang really couldn't complain all that much. Beacon had it easy.

"I didn't m-mean to – " _Cough cough_.

Damn, the ex-fighter had really done a number on the kid, she was still barely breathing.

"Just calm down, okay? Then we'll have a nice, friendly chat." _And hopefully not get sued_. It'd be a waste of her big win.

"That's what she said, too," the girl mumbled, standing up straighter, rubbing at her sore throat.

Yang laughed, smiling at Blake. The trainer's feet shifted under her, but she still looked ready to pounce should their little delinquent friend try anything. Though really what harm could this kid actually do? Even if she had a knife, it was too small for Yang to see, and the brawler's skin was thick, and her hands quick. She'd have the girl's arms broken before she got a hit.

"Well I'm nicer than her, sometimes. Got a name, kid?"

"Ruby. Ruby Rose."

"See, Blake, if you just ask, people actually tell you things."

Ruby's eyes flashed to the black woman, fingers still rubbing at her throat. When she finally stopped with that, she started tugging at the drawstring of her hoodie. Blake's mouth quirked.

"So – are you – are you Yang?"

The brawler didn't like the shaky ring to Ruby's tone. Not one bit. Blake didn't either, judging by how still she was.

"You're my number one fan, apparently. Shouldn't you know already?"

"Um…"

"This is the first one she's been to," Blake clipped, eyes trained on Ruby, not leaving her even to blink.

The girl felt a little like she was being crucified against that brick wall.

"Just one show and already trying to go home with me? That's some dedication." Yang didn't let her tone soften her stance.

"Um…I'm – I was sort of – sent here?"

She squeezed her eyes shut, waiting to get hit, or choked again, cringing and sucking in all the air she could.

But Yang was beginning to see that if this girl were to tell a lie, she'd spot it a mile away. Too genuine for her own good.

"Okay, and who sent you?" She glanced at Blake, and the girl cocked her head, golden eyes forceful. "And uh, _why'd _they send you?" the brawler added, getting the message.

Ruby managed to start breathing again, but the blonde's question had her almost wishing the girls had just beaten her to pulp so she wouldn't have to explain this. She could already sense Blake wouldn't believe her, and that didn't help the knots in her stomach.

"I – I'm from Sanctum?" She was only very slightly encouraged by the flash of recognition in the blonde's eyes. "And – I'm sorta kinda your sister?"

She was staring at Yang. The girl with wild blonde hair and lilac eyes and a big build and a different last name. Ruby couldn't look at her a second longer, tugging relentlessly at the drawstring of her hoodie; how would they _ever _believe her? She looked nothing like this girl, didn't have her confidence or her build, and even if she didn't like Blake, at least the blonde had friends. Ruby just had ratty black hair and silver eyes and an old necklace and none of it had anything to do with Yang.

From the look on the blonde's face, she was probably thinking the same thing.


End file.
